Supplement A to Form I-485

[Supplement A to Form I-485, Adjustment of Status Under Section 245(i)]

IMPORTANT: Information on this site may be outdated. For up-to-date instructions and filing fees check always with the USCIS site:
http://www.uscis.gov/forms

Purpose of Form :

To provide supplemental information to USCIS on persons seeking to adjust status under the provisions of section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Number of Pages :

5

Edition Date :

10/26/05. Prior versions acceptable.

Where to File :

File this form along with your Form I-485.

Filing Fee :

$1,000.00

Special Instructions :

Note on Filing Fee :

$1,000.00 in addition to the fee required with your Form I-485. If you have filed Form I-485 separately, attach a copy of your filing receipt and pay the additional fee of $1,000.00.

Download Supplement A to Form I-485 (789KB PDF)

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
OMB No. 1615-0023; Expires 09/30/08
Supplement A to Form I-485
Adjustment of Status Under Section 245(i)

Instructions

NOTE: Use this form only if you are applying to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to adjust status to that of a lawful permanent resident under section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. USCIS is comprised of offices of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

What Is the Purpose of This Form?

Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act) allows the Attorney General in his or her discretion to adjust the status of an alien to that of a lawful permanent resident (LPR), in lieu of consular visa processing, while the alien remains in the United States. In order to be eligible, the alien must have been inspected and admitted or paroled, be eligible for an immigrant visa and admissible for permanent residence, have an immigrant visa immediately available and, with some exceptions, have maintained lawful nonimmigrant status. The alien must also not have engaged in unauthorized employment and must not be ineligible to adjust status under section 245(c) of the Act. If you meet all of these requirements, you do not have to submit this form when applying for adjustment of status to that of LPR.

Section 245(i) of the Act allows certain aliens to file for adjustment of status upon payment of a penalty fee of $1,000, even though some of the conditions required by section 245(a) and (c) of the Act are not met. Aliens in the United States who have an immigrant visa immediately available, but who entered the United States without inspection, remained in the United States past the period of admission, worked unlawfully, or are otherwise ineligible for adjustment of status under section 245(c) of the Act must submit this form along with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

NOTE: If you are applying to adjust as the spouse or unmarried minor child of a U.S. citizen or the parent of a U.S. citizen child at least 21 years of age, and if you were inspected and lawfully admitted to the United States other than in C-1 or S nonimmigrant status, you do not need to file this form.

Who May Use Supplement A to Adjust Status to That of LPR Under Section 245(i)?

You may apply for adjustment of status to that of LPR under section 245(i) if you:

  • Are physically present in the United States when the application is submitted; and
  • Have an immigrant visa number immediately available; and
  • Are admissible to the United States for permanent residence; and
  • Are the beneficiary of an approvable-when-filed visa petition, or an application for labor certification filed on or before April 30, 2001; and
  • Pay a $1,000.00 penalty fee (unless exempted).

In addition, the alien must fall within one of the categories noted below:

  • Alien crewmen;
  • Aliens who work without authorization;
  • Aliens in unlawful immigrant status;
  • Aliens who fail to continuously maintain a lawful status since entry into the United States;
  • Aliens who were admitted in transit without visa;
  • Aliens admitted as nonimmigrant visitors under section 212(l) of the Act or under the Visa Waiver Program;
  • Aliens admitted as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(S) of the Act; or
  • Aliens seeking employment-based adjustment of status who are not in lawful nonimmigrant status.

What Documentation Must You Include If You Are Submitting This Form With Form I-485?

You do not need to submit documentation in addition to the documentation required by the instructions on Form I-485 unless you are the beneficiary of a visa petition or application for labor certification properly filed on your behalf after January 14, 1998, and on or before April 30, 2001. Aliens using section 245(i) because they are beneficiaries of a visa petition or application for labor certification filed after January 14, 1998, and on or before April 30, 2001, should submit documentation along with this form that demonstrates physical presence in the United States on December 21, 2000.

What Documentation Demonstrates Your Physical Presence on December 21, 2000?

Documentation of your physical presence in the United States on December 21, 2000, can consist of Federal, state or local government-issued documents or other documents establishing your physical presence on that date. If one document does not establish your physical presence, you should submit documentation establishing your physical presence in the United States prior to and after December 21, 2000. In some cases, a single document may suffice to establish the applicant’s physical presence on December 21, 2000. In most cases, however, the alien may need to submit several documents, because most applicants may not possess documentation that contains the exact date of December 21, 2000. In such instances, the applicant should submit sufficient documentation establishing the applicant’s physical presence in the United States prior to and after December 21, 2000. If you submit affidavits, they should be accompanied by supporting documentation. USCIS will evaluate all documentation on a case-by-case basis.

Who Does Not Need to Use Supplement A to Form I-485?

You do not have to submit Supplement A to Form I-485 if you:

  • Are already an LPR; or
  • Have continuously maintained lawful immigration status in the United States since November 5, 1986; or
  • Are applying to adjust status as the spouse or unmarried minor child of a U.S. citizen or the parent of a U.S. citizen child at least 21 years of age, and you were inspected and lawfully admitted to the United States other than in C-1 or S nonimigrant status.

In addition, you do not have to submit Supplement A to Form I-485, if you are filing for an immigration benefit other than adjustment of status to that of LPR or if you are applying for adjustment of status to that of LPR because you:

  • Were granted asylum in the United States; or
  • Have continuously resided in the United States since January 1, 1972; or
  • Entered as a K-1 fianc?©(e) of a U.S. citizen; or
  • Have an approved Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), Battered or Abused Spouse or Child, or Special Immigrant, and are applying for adjustment as a special immigrant juvenile court dependent, or as a special immigrant who has served in the U.S. armed forces, or as a battered or abused spouse or child; or
  • Are a special immigrant retired international organization employee or family member; or
  • Are a special immigrant physician; or
  • Are a public interest parolee, who was denied refugee status, and are from the former Soviet Union, Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia (a “Lautenberg Parolee” under Public Law 101-167); or
  • Are eligible under the Immigration Nursing Relief Act.

What Are the Filing Fees for the Supplement A to Form I-485 and Form I-485 Filed Together?

The fees for this form when filed along with Form I-485 are:

A base fee of $325.00 is required with Form I-485 for applicants over the age of 14 years and $225.00 for applicants under 14.

A $70.00 biometric services fee for having your fingerprints taken. If required, USCIS may also take your photograph and signature as part of the biometric services. Applicants younger than 14 years or older than 79 do not have to pay the biometric services fee.

A $1,000.00 penalty fee is required with the Supplement A Form.
If you filed Form I-485 separately, attach a copy of your filing receipt and pay only the additional sum of $1,000.00.

There are two categories of applicants who do not need to pay the $1,000.00 fee associated with Supplement A to Form I-485:

1. Applicants under the age of 17 years; and

2. Applicants who are an unmarried son or daughter of a legalized alien and less than 21 years of age, or the spouse of a legalized alien, and have attached a copy of a USCIS (or former INS) receipt or approval notice for a properly filed Form I-817, Application for Family Unity Benefits.

How Can You Check If the Fees Are Correct.

The fees on this form are current as of the edition date appearing in the lower right corner of this page. However, because USCIS fees change periodically, you can verify if the fees are correct by following one of the steps below: – Visit our website at www.uscis.gov and scroll down to “Forms and E-Filing” to check the appropriate fees, or – Review the Fee Schedule included in your form package, if you called us to request the form, or – Telephone our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 and ask for the fee information.

NOTE: If your petition or application requires a biometric services fee for USCIS to take your fingerprints, photograph or signature, you can use the same procedure above to confirm the biometrics fee.

Where Should You File This Form?

You must file this form at the same USCIS office or location where you must submit the related Form I-485.

What Are the Penalties for Perjury?

All statements contained in response to questions in this application are declared to be true and correct under penalty of perjury. Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1546, provides in part:

Whoever knowingly makes under oath, or as permitted under penalty of perjury under 1746 of Title 28 of the United States Code, knowingly subscribes as true, any false statement with respect to a material fact in any application, affidavit, or other document required by the immigration laws or regulations prescribed thereunder, or knowlingly presents any such application, affidavit or other document containing any such false statement-shall be fined in accordance with this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

What Is Our Authority for Collecting This Information?

We request the information on the form to carry out the immigration laws contained in Title 8 of the United States Code, section 1154(a). We need this information to determine whether you are eligible for immigration benefits. The information you provide may also be disclosed to other Federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement and regulatory agencies. Furnishing this information on this form is voluntary. However, if you do not give us some or all of the information, your application may be denied.

USCIS Forms and Information.

To order USCIS forms, telephone our toll-free forms line at 1-800-870-3676. You can also obtain USCIS forms and information on immigration laws, regulations and procedures, by calling our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or visiting our internet website at www.uscis.gov.

Use InfoPass to Make an Appointment.

As an alternative to waiting in line for assistance at your local USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through our internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system, visit our website at www.uscis.gov. Use the InfoPass appointment scheduler and follow the screen prompts to set up your appointment. InfoPass generates an electronic appointment notice that appears on the screen. Print the notice and take it wih you to your appointment. The notice gives the time and date of your appointment, along with the address of the USCIS office.

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it contains a currently valid OMB control number. We try to create forms that are accurate, can easily be understood and that impose the least possible burden on you to provide us with the information. Often this is difficult because some immigration laws are very complex. The public reporting burden for this information collection beyond the time to complete the parent form is estimated to average 13 minutes which includes learning about the form and understanding the instructions; collecting the necessary supporting documents; completing the form; and traveling to and waiting at a preparer’s office (e.g., attorney or voluntary agency). If you have comments regarding the accuracy of this estimate or suggestions for making this form simpler, you can write to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Regulatory Management Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20529; OMB No. 1615-0023. Do not mail your completed application to this address.

Checklist.

  • I signed the form at Part D.
  • I included the appropriate fees (if any).
  • If I checked box b or d in Question 1, Part B, I included evidence of my physical presence in the United States on December 21, 2000.